Bowl season offers mixed bag of entertainment and snoozers

If you've read this space the last few years, you already know I'm not a huge proponent of the college football bowl system.

That doesn't mean I can't find entertainment value for the next three weeks.

If you saw any of the New Mexico Bowl, which kicked off the postseason last Saturday, you know what I'm writing about.

The Arizona-Nevada matchup wasn't something you'd clear your calendar for, but nonetheless, it was an exciting game that saw the Wildcats turn a 13-point deficit into a 49-48 victory in the final 46 seconds.

It doesn't really get much better for bowl season than games like that.

Now, all of them won't all be filled with that kind of drama; plenty of snoozers will leave you wondering why you even turned the television on.

But here are some suggestions on getting through the 33 remaining games.

First off, I'm guessing many of you reading this column have already decided if you're interested in Clemson-LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, South Carolina-Michigan in the Outback Bowl and Georgia-Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. So, I won't use any more space writing about those games.

As the New Mexico Bowl participants proved, there can be some good football played in lower-level postseason games. It might just depend on your definition of "good football."

The first one that interests me is the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl this Saturday between Louisiana-Lafayette and East Carolina. This pair of 8-4 teams both average over 400 yards per game on offense while giving up over 400 yards per game on defense. That's a recipe for a ridiculous, high-scoring affair that'll last long into the afternoon, giving you an excuse to not go Christmas shopping.

I must admit that I'm actually looking forward to the Belk Bowl on Dec. 27. It's not that I have an affection for ACC football, but it's a really rare chance to see Duke playing past November. The Blue Devils, who haven't made the postseason since 1995, have a tall task in winning their first bowl game since 1961 when they face a solid defensive team in Cincinnati.

Motivation is a huge factor in how exciting a bowl game turns out to be. Because of this, I generally advise staying away from bowls where the head coach either isn't around anymore or is about to get canned.

That doesn't apply to the Rose Bowl because, well, it's the Rose Bowl — one of the few remaining traditions not completely taken over by corporate sponsors.

I do invoke the lame-duck coaching rule in another BCS game: the Orange Bowl. Florida State faces Northern Illinois, which lost its coach to N.C. State. I know that the Huskies will be pumped up anyway playing in their first BCS bowl, but this was already an unfavorable matchup; I think it's safe to skip this one altogether.

Now it's on to the meat and potatoes.

By all means, watch the Fiesta Bowl between Oregon and Kansas State. That was all but a lock for the BCS title game before that crazy November Saturday ruined it for these stellar programs.

And even though it's not considered an elite bowl, the Cotton is worth catching; Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel, the Heisman Trophy winner, is facing Oklahoma in a prime-time, old Big 12 battle.

Last, but not least, I guess I better mention the final game. No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Alabama might be one for the ages for many folks, considering the size of the fan bases, but I don't see this as a particularly thrilling matchup. I know a lot is on the line, but the time off and the lack of offensive firepower, especially from the Irish, makes me ready to just get this one over with.

Hopefully I'm wrong, and it becomes an instant classic.

It's just not on my bowl wish list this year.

Brad Senkiw can be reached at 864-260-1283 or by email at senkiwrb@independentmail.com.